LG announced earlier this week that it has started to ship its 55-inch curved OLED TV in Japan for 15 million won (US$13,285).

The price is about 30% higher than that of the 55-inch OLED TV that has a flat screen and was released by LG Electronics in January 2013.

Showcased at CES in January, the 55EA9800 curved OLED TV uses carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) for its case to maintain the shape of the TV. Only 4.3 millimeters (0.17 inches) thin and weighing just 17 kilograms (37.48 pounds), LG's Curved OLED TV produces realistic images thanks to its proprietary WRGB technology. The Four-Color Pixel system features a white sub-pixel, which works in conjunction with the conventional red, blue, green setup to create the color output. What's more, LG's Color Refiner delivers tonal enhancement. As in the original flat screen OLED TV, the Curved OLED TV also offers an infinite contrast ratio for optimal contrast levels regardless of ambient brightness or viewing angle. LG's Curved OLED TV also features thin transparent film speakers in the stand.

The premium TV, would give LG a significant lead in the OLED segment that was expected to grow to 7 million units by 2016. However, rival Samsung is also expected to release a curved OLED TV in the near future.

LG Electronics also announced that it started volume production of the TV June 7, 2013, in Europe.